Right now, they’re coming over a hill
Wearing a variety of colors
Speaking multiple languages –
And excited about many things.

Yesterday they were children
Now, they’re the entire world.

We thought we knew who and what we were
But, over time, everything’s changed –
As if in a dream.

There are parents – but they’re not our parents any more –
And there’s the house we grew up in –
But, now, it appears entirely different.

Reality is deeper than dreams
And yet, because of “time,” it’s still a kind of dream –
Once, we believed love could last forever – as real as the sun –
Yet, now we know, it often fades despite our best efforts.

As we grow older, we also grow calmer –
And this can be good in its own way –
We know we no longer can hold fire in our hands –
And our eye’s intensity is also fading.

When you’re a baby, you feel you’re equal to the entire universe –
Because there’s nothing that matters – except you.

You’re given a beautiful mother
Who takes care of all your personal needs –
So you’ll never forget her face.

Then, slowly, surely, the world comes into focus
Until, one day you can actually see yourself –Along, of course, with all your limitations.

That’s the day you’ll commence building a “fantasy” you – i.e., your “ego” –
One that you’ll be able to almost believe in –
Hopefully, a splendid one – “dressing up” the negligible you
Into a “someone” demonstrably able to survive in this world.

Eventually, you’ll be a “real” puppet
Able to “pass” – just like Pinocchio –
Manipulating the world from behind a curtain –

Only in bad dreams, however, will you suddenly realize that the rest of the world
Is the same as you.

You continue existing through this “person” or “persona”
Because you know no alternative.

Entire religions are built around a handful of exceptional people
Courageous or insane enough to trust in living as their original “true selves.”

But those religions never explain it that way –
Instead, they assert that such people are “gods” –
And, if you’re willing, they’ll “protect” you,
Enabling you to “live forever” – whatever that means.

Gurus and other spiritual hustlers
Ask if you know who “you” are –
Knowing you’ll have no answer –
That you’d have to “die” to discover one –
And there’s little chance of that ever happening!

Actually, it’s simple –
There are no religions or “enlightened masters” available to save you –
There’s only you.

To discover your “true self” you’ll have to give up everything
You are, have, and want to be –
You’ll find your “true self” by taking a good hard look at that well-developed ego,
And then drop it, and keep dropping anything else that appears,
Until, literally, there’s nothing artificial left.

That’s when you’ll be “born again” – just like Jesus recommended –
Being extremely careful, however, not to let that develop into an even more elaborate ego.

This is why humbleness comes first –
True humility – so you can be
Someone unimportant – but someone who’s real.

That’s when you’ll finally be able to breathe freely –
When you’ll be able to see reality –
Including, most importantly, the reality of yourself.

Finally, at the end, God appears and says:
“Good job, little one ….
Welcome to the Kingdom!”

If love is the “background reality” of the universe
Then everything else must be fantasy, dreams, or other mental images,
Especially if driven by ambition, desire for fame, or accumulation of power and riches.

If God is love,
Then traditional worship practices, systematic theology, and ancient church structures
Are just so much “straw” out in the fields of spiritual life –

In sum, since love is the only true reality
Why are we talking about anything else?

Of course, when we talk about love –
We’re talking about intelligent love
We’re talking about freedom as a pre-condition to love,
And we’re talking about three-dimensional love –
Not the paper version,

When you’re looking at colors – but instead observe only shapes or ideas –
When you’re having tea with friends – but dream about being somewhere else –
Or if your ideas have turned out to be all derivative –

Dear friend, it might be time to “wake up” –
Sparkle; effervesce a little – begin living a “real” life.

It would be much like being slapped in the face
By “beauty.”

When you wake up this way
You’ll start seeing the colors you once experienced as a child –
The colors that make up God’s beautiful “face.”